this morning on "early today," right now global investors everywhere are extremely concerned about america's fiscal cliff. president obama will address it head on today. we'll tell you what it means for your money. tuesday's vote makes marijuana legal in colorado where nfl superstar peyton manning just invested in over two dozen pizza restaurants. and newly released video of a suspected killer stealing and crashing a plane. the gruesome details ahead. >> announcer: this is "early today" for friday, november 9th, >> announcer: this is "early today" for friday, november 9th, 2012. captions paid for by nbc-universal television good morning, everyone. i'm lynn berry. and today the focus is back to washington and whether the white house and congress can put aside campaign bitterness to reach a deal avoiding the so-called fiscal cliff. last night house speaker john boehner insisted he's optimistic about an agreement telling abc's diane sawyer he is, quote, the most reasonable responsible person in washington but he's also not backing off his stand on tax hikes. >> raising taxes on small

business people is the wrong prescription given where our economy is. >> is it on the table to talk about -- >> i made clear yesterday that raising tax rates is unacceptable. and, frankly, it couldn't even pass the house. >> at issue here, a perfect economic storm that could have serious consequences. nbc's andrea mitchell breaks it down for you. >> reporter: the campaign was tough. victory is sweet. now comes the hard part. >> on january 21st, 2013, there's going to be a massive fiscal cliff of large spending cuts and tax increases. >> reporter: so what exactly is the fiscal cliff? it's a nightmare combination of tax hikes and spending cuts that congress and the president agreed to to force themselves into a compromise, but so far they haven't agreed on anything. so barring a last-minute fix at the stroke of midnight on new year's eve the bush tax cuts expire, the alternative minimum tax kicks in, more than half of

all married couples with two children would owe and additional $4,000 in taxes a year. for those with three or more children that jumps to $4700. on top of that, the 2011 temporary payroll tax cut would expire. so add on a 2% tax increase for most workers. then there would be automatic spending cuts in 1,000 government programs, including defense, medicare, extended unemployment benefits. everything but veterans benefits, social security, and federal pensions. economists say that combination would act as a brake on the economy throwing it back into recession and could cause a market crash. >> nbc's andrea mitchell reporting. so today at 1:00 p.m. eastern president obama will lay out the first steps since his re-election to help the nation avoid falling into recession again. nbc's tracie potts is in washington with the latest on that. tracie, good morning to you. >> reporter: lynn, good morning. good morning everyone. to today we expect to hear the question says two things when he speaks without questions in teeft room.

first he'll tell congress they need to quickly and urgently extend the bush tax cuts so taxes don't go up at the end of the year. then he'll lay out a framework, general cooperation for the rest of the so-called fiscal cliff that andrea was talking about, the spending cuts and a number of other things. no specific plan, but the president will urge congress to cooperate. we heard there john boehner talking about that cooperation, not including raising taxes on the wealthy. he is clarifying that after suggesting that republicans would be open to new forms of revenue. but those new forms we're told would be programs and policies that would boost the economy overall, so people are making more money, also paying more in taxes. we'll hear from speaker boehner today as well. he speaks a few hours before we hear the president. lynn? >> tracie potts in washington. thank you so much. now here is a side of the leader of the free world you don't see every day. getting choked up.

this happened on wednesday as president obama thanked staffers and volunteers at his chicago campaign headquarters. this is new video. it was released by his campaign. take a listen. >> you guys have done things that the work that i'm doing is important, and i'm really proud of that. i'm really proud of all of you. and what you -- [ applause ] >> obviously an emotional moment for everyone there. well, we shift gears. after nearly being killed by jared loughner, former arizona congresswoman gabby giffords came face to face with him in a tucson courtroom yesterday. loughner was sentenced to seven consecutive life terms after killing six people and wounding 13. her husband, mark kelly, told loughner, quote, you may have put a bullet through her head, but you haven't put a dent in her spirit. kelly also blasted arizona governor jan brewer as feckless

with her response to gun violence. kelly will sit down with savannah guthrie for an exclusive interview this morning on "today" on this nbc station. well, more than a week after hurricane sandy and drivers in new york city are still feeling the effects and frustration with long lines for gasoline. so now new york city and long island officials are following new jersey's lead by ordering fuel rationing beginning today to deal with the fuel shortages and distribution delays. meanwhile, buyer beware if you're in the market for a new or used car in the coming years. nbc's chris clackum explains. >> reporter: just like in hurricane's past, sandy left behind lots of soaked and sand-filled cars. >> the estimate is that there's at least 16,000 new cars that were damaged and up to 250,000 used cars. >> reporter: and guess where many if not most will end up? >> put-back into the market and resold to unsuspecting consumers. >> reporter: so what do you do?

>> the number one thing for anybody looking to buy a used car is to pull a vehicle history report. >> reporter: also, let a mechanic you trust take a look at it, or at the very least inspect the car yourself and include a smell test. >> the odor. because when a car sits in standing water, particularly in saltwater, that car will take on a smell that's very difficult to get rid of. >> reporter: look for debris or water lines inside the car, the trunk, and engine compartment. dingy headlights and taillights could be a hint that the car's been underwater. plus, keep in mind there's nothing illegal about selling a once flooded car provided you know that before buying. >> and if you get a really, really good deal on it, it might 12i8 still be a good buy for you. >> reporter: but if you have doubts, don't get soaked, walk away. chris clackum, nbc news. >> one of the many things sandy affected. let's get a check of the weather with nbc meteorologist bill karins. the west coast is all of a sudden getting stormy while the east coast recovers from sandy. it looks like the big weather pattern change is well under way

across the country as the cool air moved into the west. warm air surging through the middle of the country. we still continue to have these pretty impressive extremes in the jet stream. we like to see a nice zonal flow. the jet stream goes from the west coast to the east coast with minor ripples, not these big huge dips and jumps. the one in the west has brought down the cooler temperatures through central california to southern portions of nevada. 48 right now in san francisco while 70 in phoenix. it won't last through the weekend. this culprit, this upper level low spinning over northern california, bringing rain showers to lower elevations and snowshowers, even moderate bursts of snow through the central and northern portions of the sierra. in the northwest we're okay. they're getting nailed in the northern rockies, the plume of moisture ahead of the storm system. winter storm warnings through all the mountains of utah and

through montana where there's blizzard warnings in areas of northern portions of the state. notice in san diego, there's even a winter storm warning. as far as the snow totals expected, the northern portions of rockies is the bull's eye. the forecast is unsettled out periods of clouds and showers on and off throughout the day. through the weekend this dips all the way down through even san diego, hopefully should clear out by sunday. than. cia director petraeus on bengha benghazi. peyton's potential profits and pots. companies that vow to hire veterans. you're watching "early today."

plenty of stories making news this morning. new video of the 15-year-old pakistani girl who's recovering at a british hospital after being shot in the head by the taliban last month. malala yousufzai's father says she's recovering well and is humbled by the worldwide outpouring. seven members of navy s.e.a.l team 6, including one involved in the osama bin laden mission, are in trouble because of a video game called "medal of honor war fighter." the navy says they're being punished for divulging classified information to the game's maker. in an unprecedented attack, the pentagon says iranian aircraft fired twice at an unarmed u.s. drone patrolling the persian gulf last week. next week a house panel will hold a hearing on the september 11th attack on the u.s. consulate in benghazi that left ambassador chris stevens and three others dead. cia director david petraeus and national intelligence director james clapper are scheduled to

appear. well, wall street was down for a second consecutive day. a triple digit drop for the dow opening at 12,811. the s&p tumbled 17. the nasdaq sank 41. overseas trading closes out the week in tokyo. the nikkei dropped 79 points while in hong kong the hang seng slipped 182. well, investors are going to be hoping for a rebound today to close out this wild week. amazon.com is giving it another go at selling wine but only in 12 states and the district of columbia. their first attempt failed because of regulations over the sale and delivery of alcohol across state lines. walmart has already started their hot sales promotions for the holidays. the stores will be open on what some call black friday eve, otherwise known as thanksgiving. denver broncos quarterback peyton manning may have perfect timing as he bought more than 20 papa john's pizza franchises in colorado right before the state's voters approved legal marijuana.

manning bought the franchises two weeks before the vote, users with a taste for pizza munchies may help make this a smart investment for them. well, kroger supermarkets with 2400 stores nationwide has started a hiring our heroes program. the company set a goal of hiring more than 100,000 military veterans by 2020. kroger already has over 10,000 vets working for them right now. and not to worry, everyone, james bond is a martini drinker but heineken beer paid over $43 million for placement in the new "skyfall" movie. ads for the beer include scenes from the movie which may leave some purist bond fans shaken, not stirred, but at least daniel craig is only holding, not drinking the beer. not a minor technicality. well, the ak-47 bank bandit strikes again and a female first for the thunderbirds. plus, the twisted story behind this stolen airplane. details are next.

a cold and chilly forecast for everyone on the west coast this weekend. those details coming up. you're watching "early today."

stories making news this morning early today in america. we begin with a murder suspect's rampage at a utah airport. this is newly released video showing the commercial pilot driving a stolen plane out of control on airport grounds. during the july incident pilot

brian hedglin smashed the regional jet into a building and parked cars before fatally shooting himself. police believe hedglin stabbed his girlfriend to death three days before he went over the edge. unbelievable. well, a bank robber known as the ak-47 hit another bank last night, this one in idaho. the fbi believes the suspect has executed a string of bank robberies in california and washington armed with an assault rifle. a $20,000 reward is being offered for information leading to an arrest. and finally, a female air force pilot is breaking more than the sound barrier with her accomplishments. major caroline jensen became the first female reservist to join the famed thunderbirds. she's been flying over 17 years and hopes to inspire the next generation of air force airmen. bet she will. all right, to sports. nfl thursday night football. indy, jacksonville. the colt's rookie quarterback andrew luck scored two touchdowns on the ground against the jaguars and the indy defense came up big in a 27-10 win.

to college football, number 10 florida state made a dramatic fourth quarter comeback with under a minute to go scoring on a 39-yard touchdown pass and the seminoles won a squeaker over virginia tech, 28-22. just ahead, bond is back. we're real excited about that. and a new take on an old president. plus, "twilight" mania is in full swing. and the often forgotten victims of a natural disaster get a big boost after hurricane sandy. you're watching "early today."

good friday morning everyone. your weekend forecast, a storm system is lingering over northern california, diving the the south, areas that don't typically see rain will see chances today. notice the thunderstorm in san francisco, such cold air aloft, sunshine late in the afternoon may lift the thunderstorms. we could see the thunderstorms and they do contain small 45i8. as far as the weekend forecast, the storm system pushes out. notice the temperatures are very chilly in just about all areas on saturday. by the time we get to srngs we warm up in the northwest as the next little system and front comes in. we will see a chance of showers. looks like the best day of the weekend by far in southern california is going to be on sunday where, by the way, lynn, college basketball played, syracuse and san diego state out on an aircraft carrier sunday afternoon. >> someone is a fan.

>> i'm a syracuse fan. well, this weekend's box office sees only one wide release. and really this is the only one we need. it's bond. >> you are so excited. >> james bond in "skyfall." it's the 23rd film in the bond franchise, and yes, bill, i am excited. after becoming the u.k.'s highest grossing film of 2012, "skyfall" is expected to do big business this weekend with an estimated $90 million. $14 of those will be my own. >> steven spielberg's "lincoln" is coming out this weekend but you may have trouble finding it as the film will only be released in 11 theaters. >> the kolber report weighed in on yesterday's nor'easter and what political implications it may have. take a look. >> yes, a nor'easter. a storm so powerful it can wipe out a region's supply of t's and h's. and, folks, i am afraid that this new storm could hurt romney's momentum. i mean --

[ cheers and applause ] >> it could slow him down. he already lost the election. that can't help. >> all right. finally, people camping out in november can only mean one of two things. either it's black friday or in this case a "twilight" premiere. these guys are hard core fans, they're called twihards. robert pattinson, kristen stewart, taylor lautner, they're hoping to catch a claim ps of them. the premier is monday, giving these guys plenty of time to re-read these books. >> is it contagious. should i be worried? >> you've spent plenty of time here with me and you haven't caught it. i think you're safe. >> the bond movie this weekend, too? >> you're not going to go see it? >> out of the 23, how many are you seen? >> dozens, maybe more. we have to get you up to speed.

>> you're the bond girl. and this comes to us from wnbc 4 in new york city where in nearby teterboro, new jersey, an animal friendly relief effort is stepping in to keep pets from starving after hurricane sandy. starting today some storm stricken pet owners will have an easier time feeding their four-legged loved ones. the american humane society and mars pet care u.s. has shipped 40,000 pounds of dog and cat food to aid the masses struggling to feed their animals. i'm lynn berry and this is "early today," just your first stop of the day today on your nbc station.

in bolivia, one traditional ceremony is sure to turn a few heads. families bring together the decorated skulls of their loved ones in a celebration believed to bring good fortune. the skulls are given offerings of flowers, sweets, even cigarettes, among other gifts. musicians gather around and play their instruments to honor the skulls. unique. in australia one giraffe might be cited for joyriding. two-year-old kotoko made quite the scene when she made her way nearly 250 miles across the australian countryside with her head popped out the back of the truck. she has outgrown her zoo enclosure, and by the looks of it, that truck, so she was on her way to a new facility. among her many stops was main street where someone acknowledged, you don't see that every day. >> there's a pr genius somewhere. well, diamonds are not just a girl's best friend when they are worth this much. a 76 carat white diamond is being put on the auction block at christie's in switzerland where it's expected to pull in

nearly $25 million. it is extremely rare for a diamond of that size to have a completely flawless color grade and clarity so it makes it all the more rather. somewhere out there kim kardashian is shaking calling kanye. well, time now for an early look at some of the stories we'll follow throughout the day, this friday, on nbc. new jersey residents displaced by hurricane sandy have until 8:00 p.m. tonight to cast their ballots via e-mail or fax for the general election. the deadline was extended earlier this week due to problems with the state's online system, but some states argue the move is unconstitutional. sesame street will reair its 2001 hurricane special, sesame street gets through a storm, to show children how to deal with a natural disaster like hurricane sandy. that's a great idea. happy birthday to the incredible hulk himself. actor lou ferrigno. he turns 61. >> look at the guns. >> where's the gun show? all day long you can stay on top of the very latest developments in those stories

and others as they break on msnbc. and tonight be sure to watch "nbc nightly news" with brian williams. and, finally, here's a look at what's coming up later this morning on the "today" show. "modern family" teen actress ariel winters is accusing her mother of abuse. hear how her mother is fighting back. and "twilight" star taylor lautner is live in the studio to dish on his favorite "breaking dawn" movie moments. and now keep it on this channel for continuing local news, weather, sports, and more. i'm lynn berry. thanks for watching "early today," just your first stop of the day, today on your nbc station. have a great weekend.